Posted on 08/16/2011 6:00:33 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The legend of Davy Crockett, the buckskin-clad 'King of the Wild Frontier,' has been cast into doubt by new claims that his fabled last stand at the Alamo may have only lasted 20 minutes.
For 175 years, the Battle of the Alamo has been one of America's most cherished historical events. Celebrated in song, story and cinema, the story of heroism against all the odds helped define the young nation's pursuit of liberty.
But, according to a new book, the brave last stand depicted by Hollywood stars like John Wayne was a myth. In reality, author Phillip Thomas Tucker claimed many of the Americans who died at the Alamo were cut down as they tried to escape from the besieged garrison after a surprise pre-dawn attack.
The 'last stand' at the Alamo on March 6, 1836 came after a small band of Americans held out for 13 days against the army of Mexican dictator General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.
The leaders of the group included Crockett, already famous as a frontiersman, storyteller and crack shot, and James Bowie, known for his distinctive knife.
It has long been part of the Alamo legend that Crockett died fighting.
The legend was firmly established by the 1955 Disney TV show in which the hero was seen swinging an empty rifle as the hordes of Mexican soldiers closed in for the kill. But in his book, 'Exodus from the Alamo,' Dr Tucker painted a much less glamorous ending.
Using recently discovered Mexican accounts of the battle, the historian wrote that the defenders of the Alamo in the war for Texan independence did not die defending their garrison under brilliant sunlight.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Interesting stuff. There were probably many parents like that whose sons could not resist the adventure and excitement of the Texas Revolution. How does an office or a farm compete with a war?
The Mexicans massacred the wounded, they have no credibility, even in this day and time.
Being that I’m IN Texas right now on the final days of my vacation, I took special note of this thread.
Most citizens of this state would take what the author says to be treasonous blasphemy of the most despicable kind.
Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo! And the Mexicans damn well better NEVER forget San Jacinto!
Davy Crockett died like the hero he was, with his head up and nothing but bravery in his heart.
“I thought the same thing. I always wondered how the mexicans would have known or cared who the heck Davy Crockett was in the first place.”
FWIW, he was well known at the time, an accomplished author, even if his autobiography was ghost-written, had been on a book tour back east and arrived in Little Rock Arkansas a few months earlier and the newspapers reported hundreds of people turning out to see him.
At least one of the soldiers was related to one of the defenders and asked for and received the body to give it a burial rather than a bonfire.
Certainly the Mexican soldiers might have heard who they had killed and written about it.
A small group of men with limited ammo lasted 20 minutes against a huge army? I’d say that’s pretty darn good! Coulda been over in 5 minutes.
The reviews on Amazon.com pretty much condemn this book....
A little hard to believe that everyone would get caught sound asleep in their beds with the Mexican army at their doorstep.
I just have a hard time believing some Oaxachan conscript had ever heard of Crockett, or could attach the name to a face even if he had heard of him.
“...and thereby denigrate Rick Perry?”
From the same MSM that questions whether or not Sarah Palin is the mother of her own child, nothing would surprise me.
LOL, they are doing a heck of a job firing up the base.
OUR base, that is.
I’m pretty much ready to send Rick Perry the money I was going to send Pawlenty and apply for an honorary membership in the daughters of the confederacy.
Crockett was a racist anyway for standing in the way of noble gentlemen of the Hispanic race who were trying to reclaim their country from racist squatters. (soon to be a paragraph in a history textbook in a public school near you).
Some men live more in 20 minutes than others do in 80 years.
Which is still 20 minutes longer than Barack Obama has ever spent defending his country.
First, it was the 13 day delay of the Mexican army that was the victory, not a last stand, noble or desperate.
Secondly, what the hell does this little gem mean in the article that says, “Although the accuracy of the diary is disputed...”
So the accuracy of the diary is disputed but the idiot author bases his conclusions on that disputed diary. Nice.
Well if that’s the case we just might as well turn Texas over to la Raza. I mean if the real story is Mexico captured Davy CrockeTt and hacked him up, what right do we have to Texas? Clearly capturing someone and hacking them up shows their moral superiority.
When facts meets the legend, print the legend. I believe that’s the quote from “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.”
Anyway, are they calling John Wayne a liar?
When fact meets the legend, print the legend. I believe that’s the quote from “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.”
Anyway, are they calling John Wayne a liar?
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